Culture shock rating

Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.

Low

Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.

Medium

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.

High

You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.

Low

Physicality

Physical rating

Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.

Low

Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.

Medium

Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

High

Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.

Medium

TOUR SNAPSHOT

“”

Mike is friendly and reliable. Secured our safety in busy streets.
Also noticed my interest in some street food and brought some for our try. Awesome!

Ms. CHU YU C., Taiwan - 27 Jan 2020

There was a lot more riding in the hectic Hanoi traffic and would have enjoyed more on the island in the Red River. However our guide was excellent and took great care for our safety taking us to some interesting spots and explaining the local culture at each stop. I highly recommend Urban Adventures and always use them when I arrive in a strange city, Easy to book and reasonably priced.

Mrs. Margaret M., Australia - 21 Feb 2019

We had a great time; the guide was excellent and we had a mechanic along who helped shuttle us across the few busy streets we had to cross. Wonderful mango smoothies at the end while sitting beside beautiful West Lake. wonderful experience!

Mr. Arlo W., USA - 06 Feb 2019

Tour snapshot

Trade in the frenetic pace of Hanoi with an unforgettable bike ride through the Vietnam countryside. Cycle along the banks of the Red River to explore the timeless traditional villages and learn about life outside of Hanoi.

Highlights

Feel the Red River breeze on an 100-year old bridge and explore small back roads to immerse yourself in local life

Stop at a bonsai garden and learn about this intricate art

Drop into a local artist's estate to admire some Vietnamese fine arts

Experience market culture at a local market and sample some tropical fruits

Explore the densely cultivated land of an islet with banana, vegetable, bean, and corn farms

Take a scenic break at West Lake and enjoy a cup of Vietnamese coffee

Language: English

Inclusions: Local English speaking guide, local artist visit, entrance fees as indicated, bike hire, helmet, Vietnamese coffee or green tea and seasonal fruits on the way, opportunities to fill your reusable water bottle.

Exclusions: Items of a personal nature, tips / gratuities for drivers or guide.

Schedule details

Duration: 3.5 - 4 hours

Meeting point:

Meet at the bike shop with the Urban Adventure band name at 23 Nguyen Khac Nhu, Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi.

what3words gives every 3m x 3m in the world a unique 3 word address. This one describes the precise meeting point for this tour. Learn more.

Starting time: 8.00 AM

Ending point:

23 Nguyen Khac Nhu, Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi

FULL ITINERARY

Once you meet your local guide you'll get comfortable with your bike and hear a quick safety briefing. Then we'll head out for our morning ride! You will have the chance to fill up your reusable water bottle at the first stop.

Leave the busy streets of Hanoi via a scenic road winding through the city’s Old Quarter, through the urban outskirts, and into the countryside. We’ll pass Hanoi’s oldest bridge, The Long Bien, which was built by the famous Eiffel Construction company in 1902.

Experience the beauty of Vietnam’s countryside as you cycle through back roads and narrow streets to immerse yourself in local life and see where the children go to school every morning.

We'll make a scenic stop at a bonsai garden to learn about this intricate art and see some of the beautiful plant creations. Then it's on to the home of a famous local artist to study some popular trends in Vietnamese contemporary fine arts including installation, body, and performance art. You will have a chance to view them all here at his 2,000-square-metre estate.

Keep cycling along the banks of the Red River and see locals at work as your guide points out traditional rural activities and sights. On the way, we will visit a local temple, and if we are lucky we will have a chance to see the Hau Dong ritual performance, one of the features of Mother Goddess worship.

We'll then take our bikes to a local market to experience the market culture and taste some tropical fruits.

Our ride continues through the tranquil banana and vegetable farming area of Red River Island. There will be lots of opportunities to stop and take photos of the beautiful surroundings and the locals working on their farms.

This route takes us past the Red River and fields of colorful flowers. Depending on the season, you may get to see locals picking the flowers to be taken to market.

We continue cycling along the river to the famous West Lake for a cup of coffee or green tea. Back on our bikes, we’ll return to the meeting point in Hanoi where your guide will be able to assist you in getting a taxi to your hotel.

Additional information

Inclusions: Local English speaking guide, local artist visit, entrance fees as indicated, bike hire, helmet, Vietnamese coffee or green tea and seasonal fruits on the way, opportunities to fill your reusable water bottle.

Exclusions: Items of a personal nature, tips / gratuities for drivers or guide.

Dress standard: Light and comfortable clothing is recommended with shoes appropriate for a 3.5 hours bike ride. Sunscreen and sunglasses are also recommended.

Your Trip: This tour is offered on a "join-in" basis. Maximum group size is 12.

Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point.
Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.

Additional Information: This tour includes a 20-kilometer bike ride on flat roads to the outskirts outside Hanoi. While the ride is not overly strenuous, it will require a basic level of physical fitness and you should be comfortable with riding a bicycle.
We highly recommend you to bring a reusable water bottle as we are on the way to reduce single-use plastic bottles. There will be two stops along the way where you can refill your bottle

Closure of sites:

Child Policy: Children under age 12 are not permitted to join this tour.

Traveller rating

Rating summary

Ms. CHU YU C. from Taiwan travelled on 27 Jan 2020

Mike is friendly and reliable. Secured our safety in busy streets.
Also noticed my interest in some street food and brought some for our try. Awesome!

Mrs. Margaret M. from Australia travelled on 21 Feb 2019

There was a lot more riding in the hectic Hanoi traffic and would have enjoyed more on the island in the Red River. However our guide was excellent and took great care for our safety taking us to some interesting spots and explaining the local culture at each stop. I highly recommend Urban Adventures and always use them when I arrive in a strange city, Easy to book and reasonably priced.

Mr. Arlo W. from USA travelled on 06 Feb 2019

We had a great time; the guide was excellent and we had a mechanic along who helped shuttle us across the few busy streets we had to cross. Wonderful mango smoothies at the end while sitting beside beautiful West Lake. wonderful experience!

Mr. Martin B. from USA travelled on 02 Feb 2019

Incredibly fun tour with our guide. I was a bit nervous about riding a bicycle in such a busy city, but we were definitely taken care of. The tour quickly gets you out of the hustle and bustle and into more quiet, residential neighborhoods as well as an island in the middle of the city. Consider it a baptism by fire for navigating the streets of Vietnam. Do note that the bikes are somewhat on the small side if you're especially big (I'm a husky, 6 foot tall American and it was a tight fit), but it's worth it.

Mrs. Kim L. from Australia travelled on 09 Dec 2017

Fantastic c way to see the city and experience the craziness of the roads with safety and fun. Great guide

Ms. Kate J. from Australia travelled on 09 May 2017

Luc (Luke) had great enthusiasm and clearly explained expectations of the days tour. The Village Discovery by Bike was everything and more! Riding up a few hills and sightseeing at a gentle pace along the bridge. Cycling on unknown terrains was very easy to do with a genuine guide and one whom ensured that you knew the hand signals, road expectations and how to use the mountain bike.
3 words - Polite, Friendly & Local! The iced-coffee at the local shop was amazing, I have not had another like it. Simply the best!!

Mr. Peter S. from Belgium travelled on 30 Mar 2017

Both of our guides (Chinh Vu and I forgot the second) were excellent, knowledgable and funny. Thanks guys.

Mrs. Jessica H. from Russia travelled on 27 Feb 2016

So much fun! Our guide was great! Unfortunately I can't remember his name. He was so much fun and so knowledgeable. He stopped and bought us some fresh guava to try too. Great tour!

Mrs. Angela J. from Australia travelled on 11 Jan 2015

Overall experience was as expected, At times it was a little hard to hear our tour guide due to time of day and peak hour traffic but otherwise communications were good. Our guide was excellent in providing us local knowledge. Being on bikes gave us a good perspective of the area, enabling us to see areas we would not otherwise travel. We were well looked after as far as safety. We booked this tour as we had used this company three times prior and knew the service we would recieve would be excellent.

Mr. Nocl F. from Australia travelled on 24 Aug 2014

The trip was great and we enjoyed all aspects of it.

One thing I would mention is to be careful of the local street food experience we were both quite ill following this, and we usually do not have this problem in Vietnam.

Ms. Sharon B. from Australia travelled on 30 May 2013

Thao was a brilliant guide, I had such a fabulous day it was a highlight of my 5 week in Indochina! A welcoming driver added to the delights of the day. I would heartilly recommend this tour especially before you fly out: great souvenirs.

Ms. Jane H. from Australia travelled on 24 Mar 2013

This trip offered a terrific insight into village life now and in the past and a great sense of how Vietnam's economy has evolved from village craft to enterprise. Our guide was very knowledgable and shared a great desk if interesting information about how people live in this country. He was relaxed and friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed our day.

Mrs. Sarah M. from Australia travelled on 11 Jan 2013

Guide was great - name of Son and driver very competant negotiating the traffic. Enjoyed the day.

Ms. Katie B. from Australia travelled on 15 Apr 2012

Lisa was an excellent host and we would reccomend her to any body wanting to do an urban adventure trip with intrepid. The village tour was a great introduction to Hanoi and a good way to start the rest of our trip. Lunch at the market was great. would be good to incorporate the silk village into the tour.